Vice President Kamala Harris struggled to answer direct questions regarding the U.S. relationship with Israel during a rare interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes.
In Sunday’s interview with CBS correspondent Bill Whitaker, Harris was asked whether the U.S. has any “sway” over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Rather than providing a direct response, Harris’s comments were perceived as confusing and lacking in substance.
“The aid that we have given Israel allowed Israel to defend itself against 200 ballistic missiles that were just meant to attack the Israelis and the people of Israel. And when we think about the threat that Hamas, Hezbollah presents, Iran, I think that it is without any question, our imperative to do what we can to allow Israel to defend itself against those kinds of attacks,” Harris said, before shifting the focus to other broad topics.
Harris continued to speak in vague terms about diplomatic efforts, stating, “Now the work we do diplomatically with the leadership of Israel is an ongoing pursuit around making clear our principles, which include the need for humanitarian aid, the need for this war to end, the need for a deal to be done which would release the hostages and create a cease-fire. And we’re not going to stop in terms of putting that pressure on Israel and in the region, including Arab leaders.”
Social media quickly erupted with criticism of Harris’s “word salad” remarks, with many users voicing frustration over what they viewed as her inability to offer a coherent policy stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“Kamala is asked about Israel, can’t make any sense at all. Kamala is like a running team that’s behind that can’t throw the ball. After hiding her for months, they are now panicking and doing interviews everywhere. But that’s going to get her behind more,” wrote Clay Travis, founder of Outkick and a prominent Trump supporter.
Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele also expressed confusion, tweeting, “Someone please interpret what she just said here…”
Fox News host Mark Levin and Federalist senior editor John Daniel Davidson chimed in as well, with Levin calling the exchange “shocking” and Davidson remarking, “People talk this way when they have absolutely nothing substantive to say because they know next to nothing about the subject at hand.”
During the interview, Harris also evaded direct questions from Whitaker regarding whether Prime Minister Netanyahu is a strong ally to the United States.
“Do we have a real close ally in Prime Minister Netanyahu?” Whitaker asked.
Harris replied, “I think with all due respect, the better question is do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people, and the answer to that question is yes.”
Critics, including several members of Congress, slammed Harris’s reluctance to affirm support for Netanyahu and accused her of undermining the U.S.-Israel alliance.
“This is the real Kamala. And she’s no friend of Israel,” California Rep. Darrell Issa said in a post on X.
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik echoed these sentiments, saying, “Israel is taking out Iranian-backed terrorists across the Middle East, making the world safer for Israel and the United States yet Kamala Harris refuses to say that Prime Minister Netanyahu is a strong ally to America. Kamala Harris is unfit to be the President of the United States.”
The backlash against Harris’s comments comes just a month after she was criticized for offering scant details on whether she would change her policies on Israel if she were to become president.
When asked at a National Association of Black Journalists event about her stance on resolving the hostage situation in Gaza, Harris simply stated, “We need to get this deal done, and we need to get it done immediately.”
The latest 60 Minutes interview has fueled concerns among critics who believe Harris lacks a clear strategy on foreign policy.